azaryas

And the names of those who were appointed to be sent away were these: `Azaryas (Azariah), the son of Zadok, the priest, who was the high priest. `Elyas, the son of `Arni the Archdeacon; now the father of `Arni was the Archdeacon of Nathan the prophet. `Adram, the son of `Arderones, leader of the peoples.

And `Azaryas and `Elmiyas, sons of the priests, answered, "Let not the other matter--that our kinsfolk hate us--cause us sorrow, but let us sorrow on account of our Lady Zion, because they are making us to leave her.

And `Azaryas, the son of Zadok the priest, answered and said, "I will counsel you what we shall do.

And Azaryas said unto them, "Do ye what I tell you, and we shall succeed.

And they each gave him ten didrachmas, and this money amounted to one hundred and forty didrachmas, and he took them and gave them to a carpenter, who straightway fashioned a good piece of work from the remains of the wood of the house of the sanctuary, and Azaryas rejoiced and showed it to his brethren.

And while Azaryas was asleep at night the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, "Take to thee four goats, each a yearling--now they shall be for your sins, thyself, and `Elmeyas, and `Abis, and Makri--and four pure sheep, yearlings also, and an ox whereon no yoke hath ever been laid.

And when Azaryas awoke from his dream he rejoiced greatly, and his heart and his mind were clear, and he remembered everything that the Angel of the Lord had shown him in the night, and how he had sealed him [with the sign of the Cross], and given him strength and heartened him.

And [Azaryas said], "Rejoice with me.

And again David sent a message saying, "Let Azaryas the priest offer up sacrifice on my behalf"; and Solomon said unto him, "Do that which thou wishest."

And Azaryas rejoiced because of this thing, and he went and brought from his father's flock an ox whereon never yoke had been laid, and four yearlings of the goats and four clean yearlings of the sheep.

And Azaryas mingled [his offerings] with the offerings of the king, and he made an offering with his vessels, even as the Angel of God had commanded him to do by night.

And behold, the Angel of the Lord appeared again to Azaryas and he stood up above him like a pillar of fire, and he filled the house with his light.

And he raised up Azaryas and said unto him, "Stand up, be strong, and rouse up thy brother Elmeyas, and `Abesa, and Makari, and take the pieces of wood and I will open for thee the doors of the sanctuary.

And Azaryas rose up straightway, and woke up the three men his brethren, and they took the pieces of wood, and went into the house of God--now they found all the doors open, both those that were outside and those that were inside--to the actual place where Azaryas found Zion, the Tabernacle of the Law of God; and it was taken away by them forthwith, in the twinkling of an eye, the Angel of the Lord being present and directing.

And Azaryas rose up straightway, and woke up the three men his brethren, and they took the pieces of wood, and went into the house of God--now they found all the doors open, both those that were outside and those that were inside--to the actual place where Azaryas found Zion, the Tabernacle of the Law of God; and it was taken away by them forthwith, in the twinkling of an eye, the Angel of the Lord being present and directing.

And the four of them carried Zion away, and they brought it into the house of Azaryas, and they went back into the house of God, and they set the pieces of wood on the place where Zion had been, and they covered them over with the covering of Zion' and they shut the doors, and went back to their houses And they took lamps and set them in the place where [Zion] was hidden, and they sacrificed the sheep thereto, and burned offerings of incense thereto, and they spread purple cloths over it and set it in a secret place for seven days and seven nights.

And Azaryas answered and said before his father, "Thou rejoicest over the covering, but how very much more wilt thou rejoice over the Lady of the covering!"

And Azaryas made a sign to Elmeyas, and he said unto him, "Go, beautify, and dress our Lady, so that our King may see her."

And when Azaryas had said this, King David was perturbed and he laid both hands upon his breast, and he drew breath three times and said, "Hast thou in truth, O Lord, remembered us in Thy mercy, the castaways, the people whom Thou hast rejected, so that I may see Thy pure habitation, which is in heaven, the holy and heavenly Zion?

And Zadok the priest took the keys, and went and opened the house of the sanctuary, and he examined [the place] quickly, and he found there nothing except the wooden boards which Azaryas had fastened together and had made to resemble the sides of the pedestal of Zion.

And she made Elmeyas and `Azaryas (Azariah) the chief of the priests and the chief of the deacons, and they made the kingdom anew, and the sons of the mighty men of Israel performed the Law, together with their King David, in the Tabernacle of Witness, and the kingdom was made anew.